Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables just got the biggest recruiting win of the offseason, and it came in his own locker room.
The Sooners' top wide receiver from this past season, Isaiah Sategna III, is expected to return to OU in 2026 for his senior season instead of enter the NFL Draft early, according to Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports on Thursday. Sategna was the Sooners' No. 1 priority on offense to retain for next season as he weighed the NFL, and also could have been lured to the Transfer Portal.
Isaiah Sategna makes NFL decision
Sategna had a breakout junior season for the Sooners after transferring from Arkansas, where he got little opportunity and the Razorbacks underutilized his explosive speed. He led the Sooners in every receiving stat this season with 67 receptions for 965 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games. He notched at least 100 receiving yards in four games. He also manned punt return duties for OU.
Between his monster plays as a receiver and a returner, Sategna was vital in several of the Sooners' marquee wins in 2025. Because of that versatility, Sategna was named Second-Team All-SEC as a receiver and all-purpose player at the end of the regular season.
8️⃣7️⃣ yards to the 🏠@John_Mateer4 » @isaiahsategna1 pic.twitter.com/AGWn2EM1GI
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) November 22, 2025
The Sooners had already lost eight receivers to the portal during this cycle, but fans didn't lose sleep over any of those departures considering none had really been productive yet in their college careers. However, Sooner Nation had been drastically concerned about Sategna's looming decision. Sategna leaving would have been more detrimental to OU's offense in 2026 than the other eight receivers combined.
Now, with OU quarterback John Mateer also weighing an NFL decision but expected to return, he'll start 2026 in an even more familiar situation with his No. 1 target back for his second season in Norman. The Sooners also added a pair of top-20 portal prospects in Trell Harris and Parker Livingstone to give Mateer more talent at his disposable than he's ever had before.